Walk onto the campus of the Arkansas School for the Deaf the night of the High School Prom. Though it seems quiet to an individual with a full sense of hearing, busyness and anticipation are in full effect.
Sophomore Kanara Owens rummages through her makeup bag and gets to work, rubbing a tan liquid between her hands. Barefoot sophomore Jewel Brandon steps inside the room and signs and giggles as Kanara points out the varied shades of her foundation. Jewel tries on shoes with Kanara pointing out the benefits of one pair over the other.
Girls sit in the hallways in different stages of prom preparedness as teachers stand ready to assist. A frenzy of signing begins when two or more individuals find themselves waiting together. Finally ready to join their male counterparts and friends, students walk over to their "Under the Sea"-theme dance. Parents gather expectantly with cameras, directing students and smiles before slipping nearly unnoticed out of the colorful balloon-filled scene.
Students greet friends and find the food line. After they select seats and munch on fare like bacon-wrapped steak, lights dim and music begins.
Teachers guide the group of roughly 45 kids to the dance floor. As the beat picks up and the lights flash, the real drama begins. The lives of teens with big dreams, big emotions and little control come to a full unfettered display in the dim light of a parent-less night with unusually dolled-up friends. Four hours of laughter, endorphins, sweat and movement are not without tears in the restroom, a kiss on the nose, a pout in the corner, and flirtation from afar.
When the music fades and the lights come up, the students -- shoes in hands, vests unbuttoned, hair damp and disheveled -- now promenade back to their dorms and their parents. With a milestone complete and memories created, all are left to their own private thoughts, mulling over the highs and lows of a unique night in Little Rock. Onlookers are left only to wonder about the lasting effects for each student, and to consider their own memories of a frenzied and glistening night called prom.
Style on 06/02/2015